Movies: Past, present and future

'Twilight' producer: 'Breaking Dawn' could begin shooting this fall

January 10, 2010 | 6:00pm

It's been one of the biggest questions surrounding Summit Entertainment's uber-successful "Twilight" franchise (apart, of course, from whether stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson really are a couple off-screen) -- just how the producers are going to manage to pull off a big-screen adaptation of "Breaking Dawn." The fourth book in Stephenie Meyer's juggernaut of a young adult fiction series about the epic love affair between high school student Bella Swan and her good-guy vampire beau Edward Cullen has plenty of heft, clocking in at upward of 750 pages, but it also has the distinction of being the most controversial entry in the saga.

When it was released in August 2008, fan reaction was intense and divided with some "Twi-hards" expressing confusion and dismay over a plot that involved *SPOILER ALERT* a recently graduated 19-year-old Bella giving birth to a half-human/half-vamp daughter named Renesmee, who grows much faster than the average mortal child and who possesses a unique way of communicating with those around her, clearly inherited from Dad's side of the family.

Wyck Godfrey, the producer of all the films in the "Twilight" saga, admits that the creative team still doesn't know how they'll handle the character in the "Breaking Dawn" movie, but said that the plan is absolutely for the production to go forward -- as either one or two installments -- with an eye toward beginning to shoot in Vancouver this fall. All three stars are signed for "Breaking Dawn," he said, meaning that Stewart and Pattinson will be dealing with the joys and woes of interspecies parenting and newly minted heartthrob Taylor Lautner will return as often-shirtless shape-shifter Jacob Black.

At the moment, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, who's penned all the "Twilight" movies, is working on the "Breaking Dawn" script(s). "It's a work in process," Godfrey said in an interview Friday. "The issue [of whether there will be one or two movies] is not going to be resolved until we get the full treatment and see whether it's organic. If it's not organic, I don't think it will be done, and if it is, it will be. It really has to do with how much level of detail from the books there is, with all of these new vampires that appear in 'Breaking Dawn,' the whole section about Jacob... It's a very long single movie if it does become a single movie."

Although there's been a great deal of online chatter about whether Chris Weitz, director of the second and most recent movie, "New Moon," would return to helm "Breaking Dawn," Godfrey downplayed that possibility, saying, "I think everyone would be happy and excited if he came back, but I don't think it's going to happen."

He and the other principals are formulating a list of potential directors, "but right now," Godfrey said, "we're just focused on the treatment and getting that right. At that point, we're going to see who's available and who's appropriate. It's such a complicated book because you have the emotions and the intensity of the love story -- so you need somebody who's just a wonderful director of actors -- and yet it's really complicated from an action and visual effects standpoint. They've got to have both tools in their kit."

A visual effects background might be particularly helpful when it comes to dealing with the character of Renesmee.

"I keep having visions of '[The Curious Case of] Benjamin Button' in my head," Godfrey said, referring to David Fincher's Oscar-nominated 2008 fantasy about a man who becomes physically younger as he ages. "It's certainly going to be visual effects in some capacity along with an actor. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being a full CG creation, but it also may be a human shot on a soundstage that then is used to shrink down. I don't know. We need a director. When we get a director, that director will need to come with a point of view of how they want to tackle it."

The third movie in the series, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," is due in theaters June 30.

1) please NOOO wigs, it ruins the movies
2) no blinking
3) no more brooding or Rpattz staring off into space
4) as little time as possible on Resnemme or whatever (no one cares!!)
5)someone tell Kristen to have some emotion
6)can they E|B actually kiss and not he kiss her nose, she his chin
7) i don't care about Riley or the rest of the cast
8) one more movie is enought

Please do this right! We don't want "rushed" scenes. We want e/b moments- these are precious and this is what the fans fell in love with...Twilight Saga should end with a bang! Stick with the original story, and you won't go wrong! Please do this for your loyal fans- we want it done right...

The problem with Summit is they're so cheap they don't even spend enough money to make the wigs for their lead characters look halfway decent. The idea of them tackling some kind of Benjamin Button character for Renesmee is ridiculous. If they spent some cash on it--cash we know they have--it might have a chance to look good, but we know they won't because of their track record. They'll do something CG and it will look just as cheesy as the wolves did. But they don't care because they know their audience is set in stone and they'll make their money no matter what.

If Stephenie Meyer wanted the movies to be good, she should have gone with someone other than Summit.

Well, there is a lot in Jacob's section of the book that can be cut. The screenwriter has done a remarkable job (sarcasm) of cutting stuff from the other books that should have been included, so I'm sure she would have no problem cutting stuff from Breaking Dawn that doesn't need to be included.

Twilight and new moon were both amazing - ok i understand there are parts and areas which could improve! But isnt there in every film? They cant be perfect!

And with breaking dawn its my favourite book in the Whole series, and i think as long as they stick to the book then it will look AMAZING on the big screen!
I adore all the actors, rob and kristen (and the rest of the cast) are perfect! And as long as they spent time on Renesmee then it will look fine to...
And yeah i am with the other comments loads of Edward and bella moments!! please!

Any way really excited - but focusing on eclipse at the moment only 169 days to go!!!

I do not want Chris Weitz back. Equally and more vehemently I wish they would get rid of that crap screenwriter. How she managed to actually make Stephanie Meyer's books worse than they are is a mystery to me. I'm sure a 13 year old could write a better script. She's horrible and the worst part of the franchise. Kristen, Rob and Taylor are the only good things about this franchise. They are the only reasons I'm not completely upset that these movies have ruined the books.

I think that Breaking Dawn should go back to Portland, Oregon and film, because that is where Twilight-the movie that started it all- was filmed. Everything was original and amazing. Even though everything kind-of can't be original in Breaking Dawn they should still do there best to make it as realistic as possible, cause that's what the Twilight Saga is all about.
Vancouver, Canada as everyone knows was really great but since Breaking Dawn is the last of the Saga, then it should be filmed where the FIRST one was filmed. Hopefully they will decide to go back to Portland because the first and the last are the most important in movie form. The first (Twilight) got everything started. The last (Breaking Dawn) is going to be the 'happily ever after' and will end hopefully very beautifully. Vancouver is very beautiful but it would just be nice to go back to the original places and locations.
Please Go To Portland, Oregon again.

I am not wild about the idea of Chris doing the final movie... Nor do i want it to be animated. Its not a cartoon. Take the time and effort into keeping the movie as the book and not put in your own opinions as you go.... That 4th book is my favorite out of the series and it would be a horrible waste to see it torn apart.... Just my input... Very much looking forward to Eclipse... I think having David behind this one was a good idea... I cant say i like 30 Days of Night but i liked what he did with the Vampires and the scary stuff... Even though this is a teen movie saga.. i like the thought of the Newborns being just that SCARY newborns... As they are talked about by Jasper....

Breaking dawn is my fav book. i think that they should get a new screen writer.I hope they stay true to the book as much as they can. i hope that they dnt do a doggy job with Renesmee i hope they can make her as real looking as they can. I hope it finishes with a bang

The only way they can pull this off...the whole movie inlcuding the CGI thing...is to employ Peter Jackson! PERIOD!...In fact they should have given Peter the first movie to begin with, both films have been utter sh*t. And they can all thank Melissa Rosenberg for that, I hope she never works in this industry again. Does she not know the difference between serious lines and cheesiness? In fact the only thing I liked about twilight: New Moon was Kristen Stewart. She was the only one acting, now i can understand why critics panned that God awful movie and praised her instead!

just when I was starting to tell everyone "i really don't think they're going to make Breaking Dawn" this comes and saves me. i don't care that there isn't an official date, and i don't care that summit didn't make an official statement. a word from the producer is good enough for me. gosh i'm so happy now. as for the director. i was really happy and thrilled with Chris Weitz coming back to do BD after watching New Moon. but after thinking for a little bit about the special effects, and the type of fantasy look the movie might need, i was thinking more on the lines of Peter Jackson or Tim Burton....idk just a thought. and now that i have a time frame, so i can relax and be excited about Eclipse, but if i dont see any buzzing about Breaking Dawn come fall....there's going to be some serious problems.

I'm interested to see how they pull off a half vampire child being C-Sectioned through vampires ripping her mother's stomach open. Oh and how they pull off the gross imprinting thing with Jacob on a baby.

im glad that the trio r signed bak on but what about peter and ashley and the rest of the family they're important too! i thought new moon was amazing nd really hope weitz comes bak to do b.dawn.
when will they start casting though. i rrreeeeallly wana be apart of this movie its one of my faves (tho they all r lol)
cant wait to see renesmee and bella as a vamp

I'm with Gwin. . . . PLEASE ALLOW THE CHARACTER OF RENESMEE BE A REAL LIVE CHILD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm quite certain they can inject all the special effects using a real person! Come on! Using anything else will be cheesy!!!!!!!!!!!!! And please include ALL crucial scenes of the book! Give the fans what they want without leaving them hanging to "fill in the blanks constantly" only because they've read the book!

I think that they'll skip that NON BATTLE SCEEN in the book, they will probably go for a really big fight sceen so that the Breaking Dawn movie/movies wont suck, cuz when eclipse will come out (with its big fight sceens that probably will draw many male fans)it'll be even a bigger hit then the 1st and 2nd movie altogether. So I think that by bringing all the romance (for the female fans) and some vap/wherewolf action (for the male fans) will for sure be even bigger then the other 3 movies thats for sure..

I think that they'll skip that NON BATTLE SCEEN in the book, they will probably go for a really big fight sceen so that the Breaking Dawn movie/movies wont suck, cuz when eclipse will come out (with its big fight sceens that probably will draw many male fans)it'll even be a bigger hit then the 1st and 2nd movie altogether. So I think that by bringing all the romance in Breaking Dawn(for the female fans) and some vap/wherewolf action (for the male fans) will for sure even be bigger then the other 3 movies thats for sure..

As a fan I REALLY don't want to see this movie. If this movie is released I'll leave the fandom forever. Cause 9 out of 10 it'll be a complete trainreck. NO one wants this movie to be realesed not the cast, not the fans. The only people that are for releasing this movie is Summit Entertainment. Cause all summit cares about is Money! Save the emberassment! PLease dobn't rtelease BReaking Dawn!PLEASE!

How. The. HELL can they do Breaking Dawn? There's just way too many elements in it that would lend itself to a complete disaster. Do the book of Jacob pleeease Summit, but that alone would be massive amounts of CG with the wolf pack constantly in wolf form, and then what happens when Renesme is born? A half vampire breed child born by a vampire teeth c-section?? And Renesme herself.. a infant that grows about 10x faster than a normal human, and about 50x more intelligent, and reading when she's a month old? DAMN. If they make it, then I'll sent all my wishes and good luck to Summit, they'll need it. The thing that could potentially save the movie is the actors. It's a weird plot, but I have confidence that Kristen and Rob can pull off their best parents to a half breed, and Taylor will convince us he's in love with a toddler. Typing it and saying it make it sound weirder than it is in the book. Maybe I'm just used to it now. Imagine what the rest of the world would be saying about the Twilight Sage when they found out the plot of a Breaking Dawn movie. We get ridiculed enough as it is.

I'll watch the movie than I'll probally send hate mail to everyone affiliated with it.(the cast, the director, Stephenie Meyer)It is partly her fault if it sucks she signed them the rights.But I will literaly die of second hand embarrasment.
I agree with the gething rid of Mellissa Rosenberg (the screen writer). She's horrible. Why they keep hiring her is a mystery to me. It bugs me she's an executive producer of Dexter.The best Show EVER.